Marcia and Lionel Bowie's Love Story

I’ve wanted to be a lot of different things in my life, but I neither wanted nor expected to be an expert on cancer. However, during my late wife Marcia’s battle with the disease, we came to understand cancer far too well.

We learned that cancer not only wanted to rob us of the future we had planned together; it also wanted to steal our “here and now” by taking away our energy and our desire to make memories. But we also learned that, thanks to Frederick Health Hospice, it didn't have to be that way.

When we learned that Marcia’s cancer was beyond treatment, she considered all her options carefully. She knew that her time on earth was limited. She knew that she wanted to enjoy her remaining time on her terms, surrounded by the love of her life (that would be me), our children, and our grandchildren, and she wanted to stay in our beloved “little blue cottage” where we had made our home for so many years.

For all these reasons, Marcia chose hospice care. And because I loved her, I chose it, too.

Every member of the Frederick Health Hospice team was a perfect match for our family’s “special” personalities. From our very first meeting with Marcia’s care team, we were treated with the utmost respect (even when they were supporting Marcia in telling me that my jokes were too corny!)

Everyone communicated with us honestly and directly. They kept us informed, gently and compassionately, about the progression of Marcia’s illness. They had many suggestions for her physical and emotional comfort. And eventually, when death was nearing, they helped us anticipate what would happen next, but never in a way that made us fearful or caused panic.

With Hospice’s support and encouragement, Marcia was able to take back much of her independence.

Instead of spending all our time at doctors’ appointments and treatments that were no longer beneficial to her, we were able to focus on all the little things that had brought her such joy before she became ill. We had time to focus on our marriage and our love story. I truly believe we fell in love all over again. The care she received allowed us to spend time laughing, reminiscing, and recreating moments we had enjoyed throughout our many years together.

She was able to get back on her bike, a daily activity that she had loved before she got sick. She baked treats for the family and drove herself to the store to get ice cream for the kids. She sang along with Hospice’s Music Therapist, Georgia, requesting favorite songs and the tunes we fell in love to all those years ago. She went dancing with friends, hiked, ziplined, and swam in the lake with our grandkids. She even jumped and flipped on the trampoline, showing off her high school gymnastic skills, despite my objections and screams of “Careful, Marcia!”

                                         

Thanks to Frederick Health Hospice, my beautiful wife—and everyone who loved her—experienced the priceless gifts of physical comfort, emotional support, and spiritual peace. 

Gratefully,

Lionel C. Bowie